When Google screws up this badly …

… then come tell me how local management of email is more reliable than GMail.

An elephant never forgets? George W. Bush’s lost e-mails: Page 1

When the Bush administration took office, it decided to replace the Lotus Notes-based e-mail system used under the Clinton Administration with Microsoft Outlook and Exchange. The transition broke compatibility with the old archiving system, and the White House IT shop did not immediately have a new one to put in its place.

Instead, the White House has instituted a comically primitive system called “journaling,” in which (to quote from a recent Congressional report) “a White House staffer or contractor would collect from a ‘journal’ e-mail folder in the Microsoft Exchange system copies of e-mails sent and received by White House employees.” These would be manually named and saved as “.pst” files on White House servers.

Live Mesh just arriving

Here we go. Microsoft has unveiled its Live Mesh platform for catching Google. It will be going into public beta “later this year”. The snippet below would be really truely impressive if Hansen could’ve used it to play music on his home XBox at work …

Microsoft Reveals a Web-Based Software System - New York Times

Mr. Hansen, who has been using Live Mesh in a private Microsoft test, said he was able to surprise his wife using the Live Mesh Remote Desktop. From work, he was able to start a song playing on his Xbox at home.

Microsoft pays half billion for Sidekick.

If you were thinking, like maybe 5 years ago, that a Sidekick was a solution to mobile computing in the enterprise, here’s where you’d be.

Danger for Microsoft - The INQUIRER

With all these managers above them, the pair have to work out how to beat Apple’s Iphone, RIM’s BlackBerry Pearl, and whatever former Danger co-founder and former CEO Andy Rubin is doing with Android at the comparatively flat organisation, Google. µ

Vista SP1 - any day now

Yeah, its everywhere. But you have to give Microsoft credit. Its excellent viral marketing. Everybody knows about Service Pack 1 now (people will expect it via their automatic updates). Personally, I plan to stick just a little closer to Leopard as a result.

Microsoft: Still No Vista SP1 Auto Update - Software - IT Channel News by CRN and VARBusiness

“I’m glad they’ve delayed it. If you need it, you can manually update the system. If a VAR needs it, they can get it or build a new system with it. But it’s a several part service pack that shouldn’t be rushed,” Bradley said.

Planets begin to align in Yahoo deal

If Yahoo acquires AOL, that would also bring Bebo into play. The resulting search/social combo would have to interest Google, given its OpenSocial plans. Meanwhile, NewsCorp is trotting its MySpace social network Microsoft’s way to help them sweeten their own offer. Either way, Google or Microsoft would round out their social offerings nicely, while increasing their user base and search capacity. Stay tuned.

In Another Surprise Twist, AOL-Yahoo Deal Said to Be Close At Hand

Things are moving fast in the Yahoo-Microsoft drama. All the different forces are aligning for an endgame. The latest twist: The WSJ is reporting that Yahoo is close to signing a deal to combine with AOL.

This at the same time that Yahoo is doing a limited test to place Google ads in its search results. Meanwhile, News Corp, which Yahoo once hoped would be its white knight, is said to be turning on Yahoo and talking to Microsoft about joining its bid. Obviously a lot of balls are up in the air right now, and anything is possible.

Micosoft has secret plans to topple Google

What a shocker: Microsoft is apparently taking the threat that Google poses to its Office software seriously. But the most interesting tidbit of this story is the assertion that once it is ready (maybe in time for Vista’s service pack 2?) Project Albany can be purchased at Best Buy.

Well, now. Let me see. Do I pay to switch over to a new Microsoft product, or keep using Google Docs for free. I dunno.

Update: Microsoft prepares ‘Albany’ to compete with Google Docs | IDGNS | News | March 26, 2008 | By Elizabeth Montalbano, IDG News Service

Facing pressure from hosted productivity suites like Google Docs and Google Apps, Microsoft is planning a new package of low-end productivity software and hosted services through a secretive project code-named Albany.

Project Albany puts together a combination of Office, Office Live Workspaces, Windows Live OneCare and the Windows Live suite of services in one package that eventually is expected to be available in retail outlets such as Best Buy, sources familiar with the company’s plans said Wednesday.

The sources, who asked not to be named, said Microsoft is asking select testers to try out the Project Albany beta but is requiring them to sign a non-disclosure agreement just to participate in the test. The main focus of the initial beta is to test the unified installer for the package, they said.

Microsoft and Google going after Digg

Google, Microsoft Said To Be Preparing Bids For Digg

Digg is prepared to take less than the $300 million Allen & Co. were floating late last year. Google, our source says, will likely bid $200-$225 million, which Digg would likely accept.

Microsoft is looking at a somewhat lower price. That makes sense, since most of Digg’s revenue today comes from a three year advertising deal that Digg signed with Microsoft last year.

A better calendar sync for Outlook

Google Calendar Sync: Getting Started

Google Calendar Sync allows you to sync events between Google Calendar and Microsoft Outlook Calendar. You’ll be able to determine the direction of information flow, as well as the sync frequency. Staying on top of your Google Calendar and Microsoft Outlook Calendar events has never been easier!

Keep in mind that it’s not possible to sync events on secondary calendars at this time. Google Calendar Sync will only sync events from your primary Google Calendar and your default Microsoft Outlook calendar.

Micosoft slashes Vista price

Where else could you get an operating system this good for the low price of $129?

Uhhh…

Microsoft drops Vista price to boost sales amid lawsuit - Tech

Under the new pricing scheme, Vista Home Premium, the most common version of the software, will drop from 159 dollars to 129 dollars for an upgrade-only version. The top-end Vista Ultimate edition will drop from 399 dollars to 319 dollars.

The discount is primarily aimed to accelerate sales of upgrades to users still running Windows XP or earlier versions of Windows

Better than Google Sky?

It certainly looked like Astronomy would be a pretty good application for Photosynth.  This World Wide Telescope, unlike Google Sky, apparently only runs on Windows … not under Mac OS X or Linux. 

Microsoft poised to unveil WorldWide Telescope? | Channel Register

Redmond has apparently tapped the might of the Hubble telescope “as well as 10 or so Earth bound telescopes” to compile its multiple terabit view of the heavens, which will be driven by the company’s Photosynth technology.

TechCrunch has heard WorldWide Telescope is “significantly better” than Google Sky, offering a user interface which is “seamless as you move around the sky and zoom in and out”.